Immediately after Magic Johnson's announcement on November 7, 1991 populations who had previously shown little concern regarding HIV/AIDS were quickly doing anything they could to check their health status.
The National AIDS hotline and the CDC Atlanta toll-free AIDS hotlines supported individuals by answering questions, providing counseling, and making referrals to testing sites (Sims 1991). Prior to Johnson's news the CDC hotline averaged around 200 calls per hour but saw an incredible increase to 10,000 calls within one hour on the night of Magic's press conference. In total, the CDC hotline answered 50,000 calls during the seven hours following Magic's announcement. The hotline also went from averaging between 3,000 and 5,000 calls per day to around 25,000 per day and this demand continued for months (Sims 1991). There was also a significant spike in the number of HIV tests being requested. The Howard Brown Memorial Clinic in Chicago saw a 300% increase in appointments while New York City saw a 60% increase in the number of people being tested (Sims 1991). After learning Johnson had contracted the virus from unprotected heterosexual sex there was an increase in precautions revolving around sexual interactions. The Dimock Community Health Center in Roxbury, Massachusetts reportedly gave two to three times the number of condoms they would have typically handed out prior to Johnson's news (Newsweek Staff 1991). Johnson's announcement truly impacted the way individuals, especially those of the heterosexual population, perceived the risk of HIV/AIDS. Johnson enforced the fact that HIV/AIDS could happen to anyone regardless of sexual preferences. His news resulted in a vast number of individuals who went out of their way to increase their awareness surrounding this virus and disease.
Not only did Johnson impact people's lifestyles, he also quickly influenced their perception of those with HIV/AIDS and how much people were willing to support those suffering from the disease. Several studies found a significant change in attitudes towards PWA through public opinion polls. A study analyzed data from random dial state-wide telephone polls taken just before, just after and 10 months following Johnson's public announcement. The survey included questions regarding AIDS, homosexuality, premarital sex, and after the announcement, Magic Johnson. The study found that over all there was a change in the social construction and perception of AIDS in society after the announcement. The number who strongly associated homosexuality with AIDS was greater prior to Magic's news. Among this group, those who did not approve of homosexuals were less likely to be in favor of AIDS treatment and research. After Johnson's announcement people more commonly linked values regarding premarital sex to how they felt about AIDS. Those who were opposed to premarital sex were less supportive of AIDS research and treatment in comparison to those who did not strongly disapprove of premarital sex. Johnson was a new and drastically different face of AIDS and as a result he changed the values people considered when determining their feelings regarding the disease. Magic was able to break down myths surrounding the disease that AIDS activists had been trying to disprove for years (Pollock 1994). Overall, the public showed a positive reaction to Johnson's news by finally challenging and reevaluating what they believed to ultimately increase accurate awareness.
The National AIDS hotline and the CDC Atlanta toll-free AIDS hotlines supported individuals by answering questions, providing counseling, and making referrals to testing sites (Sims 1991). Prior to Johnson's news the CDC hotline averaged around 200 calls per hour but saw an incredible increase to 10,000 calls within one hour on the night of Magic's press conference. In total, the CDC hotline answered 50,000 calls during the seven hours following Magic's announcement. The hotline also went from averaging between 3,000 and 5,000 calls per day to around 25,000 per day and this demand continued for months (Sims 1991). There was also a significant spike in the number of HIV tests being requested. The Howard Brown Memorial Clinic in Chicago saw a 300% increase in appointments while New York City saw a 60% increase in the number of people being tested (Sims 1991). After learning Johnson had contracted the virus from unprotected heterosexual sex there was an increase in precautions revolving around sexual interactions. The Dimock Community Health Center in Roxbury, Massachusetts reportedly gave two to three times the number of condoms they would have typically handed out prior to Johnson's news (Newsweek Staff 1991). Johnson's announcement truly impacted the way individuals, especially those of the heterosexual population, perceived the risk of HIV/AIDS. Johnson enforced the fact that HIV/AIDS could happen to anyone regardless of sexual preferences. His news resulted in a vast number of individuals who went out of their way to increase their awareness surrounding this virus and disease.
Not only did Johnson impact people's lifestyles, he also quickly influenced their perception of those with HIV/AIDS and how much people were willing to support those suffering from the disease. Several studies found a significant change in attitudes towards PWA through public opinion polls. A study analyzed data from random dial state-wide telephone polls taken just before, just after and 10 months following Johnson's public announcement. The survey included questions regarding AIDS, homosexuality, premarital sex, and after the announcement, Magic Johnson. The study found that over all there was a change in the social construction and perception of AIDS in society after the announcement. The number who strongly associated homosexuality with AIDS was greater prior to Magic's news. Among this group, those who did not approve of homosexuals were less likely to be in favor of AIDS treatment and research. After Johnson's announcement people more commonly linked values regarding premarital sex to how they felt about AIDS. Those who were opposed to premarital sex were less supportive of AIDS research and treatment in comparison to those who did not strongly disapprove of premarital sex. Johnson was a new and drastically different face of AIDS and as a result he changed the values people considered when determining their feelings regarding the disease. Magic was able to break down myths surrounding the disease that AIDS activists had been trying to disprove for years (Pollock 1994). Overall, the public showed a positive reaction to Johnson's news by finally challenging and reevaluating what they believed to ultimately increase accurate awareness.